US bristles at Germany’s reduced defense budget plans

BERLIN (AP) — The United States is bristling at the suggestion Germany might miss its own defense spending target, which is already short of the NATO goal.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz’s budget plan, which is to be presented to cabinet on Wednesday, foresees Germany’s defense spending rising to 1.37 percent of national income in 2020, but decline to 1.25 by 2023, according to the dpa news agency, which reviewed a copy of the proposal.

NATO countries have pledged to move toward spending 2 percent of GDP on defense and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government had pledged to increase spending to 1.5 percent by 2024.

U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell told The Associated Press Monday the government’s consideration of “reducing its already unacceptable commitments to military readiness is a worrisome signal to Germany’s 28 NATO allies.”